Crimson Keeper
by caylapixie
Summary: A few months after Aizen's defeat, a lonesome fighter named Hisa Tsukino roams the Rukongai, searching for a purpose in the Soul Society. Follow her story through the Rukongai, her attempt to find purpose there, and her eventual decision to join the Academy in search of what she desires most.
1. Chapter 1

A lark sounded in the distance as the feminine figure wound her way through the trees, her feet wrapped in grimy bandages. Covered in dust and dirt, she trudged on underneath the shadows of trees. She gritted her teeth as pain radiated up her arm from the infected gash on her forearm. "Stupid," she berated herself quietly. She'd stumbled upon a Hollow in the northern Rukongai, and she'd carelessly left her guard down for a fraction of a second. Seething from her own stupidity, walked on, spotting a game trail heading south.

She considered ignoring the path, but she needed some sort of attention to her wound. Squaring her shoulders and swallowing her pride, she stomped towards the game trail. She took stock of herself, grumbling about a bath. Her short crimson hair was tangled around her face, her slender figure covered in mud and dirt. As she pondered the feeling of water cleansing away all the grime, the deafening crack of breaking timber shook away her daydream. Without hesitation, she rocketed off in the direction of the noise, cutting her feet along the trail.

She skidded to a halt in a puny clearing, her ocean-eyes falling on an enormous Hollow towering over a small gaggle of children.

"Run!" she shouted at the kids, unsheathing her sword and propelling herself forward. The Hollow swiped at the children as they dashed in opposing directions, and reared up to roar in frustration. The woman launched herself upwards, her sword stretched over her head, and with a powerful blow, was knocked breathless to the side. She hit the dirt hard, rolling on her side for several feet. Pushing herself onto her knees and elbows, she cleared the fog around her mind with a single shake and climbed to her feet. She charged again, shouting curses at the Hollow as she attacked. She cut off a hand, left a gash in its leg, then launched herself upward again, and was again knocked aside. Wiping sweat from her forehead, she stood again when she heard a voice.

"Just stay down and let me handle this!" the voice yelled at her.

Her attention snapped to the other side of the clearing, where a black-robed man stood, his blazing red hair pulled back in a tail and a white headband. He carried a sword, unmistakably the Zanpakutō of a Shinigami. He ran his hand along the blade of his sword and shouted something the woman couldn't quite make out above the din in her own head, and then his blade extended, and like a whip wielded by a master, swung and sliced the Hollow right down the middle. With a final roar, the Hollow dissipated.

Shouldering his weapon, the Shinigami glanced at the woman with a smirk. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Pretty impressive...?" the woman mused. Her body began to quake. "Pretty impressive?!" She turned on her heel and marched up to the smug Shinigami. "You take my catch and all you say is 'pretty impressive?' Unbelievable!"

The Shinigami started, then glared at the woman. "I saved your life!"

"You saved nothing!" the woman shouted back. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the Shinigami demanded.

"Hisa Tsukino of Kusajishi! And who the hell are you?"

The Shinigami squared his shoulders and stood ramrod. "I'm Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Sixth Division under Captain Kuchiki."

Hisa shook her head, grimacing. "Go home, Lieutenant. You're not needed here."

"You have no authority to give me any such order," Renji muttered through gritted teeth. "The least you could do is thank me for saving you, lady."

Hisa grimaced, rolling onto her toes to see into his eyes clearly. "I am no lady that needs anyone's saving. And for your information, I never asked for your help." Renji's attention was quickly directed over Hisa's shoulder as she heard someone speak behind her.

"Well, looks like the Eleventh Division showed up late for the party, Lieutenant. By the way, who's your friend?"

Hisa whipped around to see the man she hadn't seen since her early childhood. "If it isn't Ikkaku Madarame," Hisa hissed.


	2. Chapter 2

Standing tall on the other side of the clearing, 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame glanced at Hisa with narrowed eyes. "You must not be important enough to remember," he spat.

Fuming, Hisa clenches her fists. "You terrorized my village years ago," she reminded him. "Don't you remember? Running around, shouting from the tops of your lungs that you could take anyone?" Her dominant hand twitched on the sheath of her sword. Ikkaku noticed the fraction of movement and glared at Hisa.

"And?" Ikkaku prompted.

Hisa chuckled under her breath. "And I've spent years training just for this moment..." she mused, unsheathing her sword and looking across the blade at the confident Shinigami. "The moment when I take you on!"

"So confident for such a little girl of little experience," Ikkaku remarked. "But who am I to refuse a good fight?"

"Girl?" Hisa scoffed, shifting her feet under her. "Little experience? You haven't the slightest idea about who you're talking to."

"And I don't really care!" Ikkaku shouted as he charged.

Hisa readied herself for the attack, watching his eyes and the motion of his arms as he slashed with his Zanpakutō. She blocked his attack, holding her bare feet steady against his advance. Caught by his sheer strength, Hisa skirted backwards to gather herself before she attacked. Her eyes narrowed against her opponent, and she charged headlong at Ikkaku. She slashed with her sword with as much speed as she could muster, yet Ikkaku managed to parry. She changed her tactic, kicking out with her foot, pounding Ikkaku's left hip, catching the 3rd Seat off guard.

"Adaptable," Ikkaku noted, giving a slight nod to Hisa. He swung his Zanpakutō, and Hisa ducked under the blade, though not fast enough. She stood straight, positioning her sword in front of her as a thin line of blood dripped from her cheek. "Persistent, too."

Hisa charged again; Ikkaku parried. Ikkaku slashed; Hisa dodged. The exchange lasted until Hisa was hunched from her efforts, yet her sword was still ready for the next attack.

Ikkaku straightened. "This fight is boring me," he stated. He sheathed his Zanpakutō and turned away from the fight.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Hisa demanded, charging forward. She didn't even see Ikkaku's movement, yet she felt his foot embed in her stomach and the breath leave her body as she was launched backwards. She rolled twice before hitting a tree on the side of the clearing. Blinking through blurry vision, Hisa watched, unable to say a word, while Ikkaku left the clearing with other Shinigami. Defeat was not a welcome feeling for Hisa, and while it swept over her, she slammed her fist into the dust. "Damn," she hissed.

"You're fast," Renji said from his position underneath a tree. "Not bad for not having any formal training, either."

"I don't want your praise," Hisa croaked.

"No," Renji agreed. "However, you do need medical attention. You fought well for having an infected wound. Can you walk?"

Hisa glared up at the Shinigami where he stood. "Of course, I can walk," she spat. "I'm not going anywhere until I feel like it."

Renji shrugged. "It's going to get dark soon."

"I'm not afraid of the dark." She struggled to a sitting position.

"Look," Renji began. "I'll take you to the nearest village and hopefully there will be a healer or someone to look after you."

"I don't need someone to look after me," Hisa protested. "And I'm not going anywhere with you."

Renji grimaced and sighed in frustration. "You spend too much time arguing. Let's go."

Before she could protest, Renji scooped her up and used Shunpo, running into the darkness of forest. The wind whipped at Hisa's hair, and her head swam with exhaustion. Before she closed her eyes, she glanced up at the Shinigami carrying her, mouthing the words _thank you_ , even as her vision gave way to the calm of darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

When she awoke, Hisa lay on the floor of a sparsely furnished shack. She glanced to her right, finding an elderly woman kneeling beside her. Hisa started, yelping like a puppy at the sight of the smiling face. The old woman silently patted a stack of clean clothes to her left. Hisa nodded, understanding.

"Thank you," she said as the old woman stood and left the room, her footsteps like whispering flower petals. Hisa waited until she was sure she was alone. She breathed in the crisp scent of fresh linen, clean air. She began dressing herself, a tunic, belt...had the elderly woman really bathed her while she was unconscious? The thought sent blood rushing to Hisa's cheeks. She secured the belt, unnecessary panic gripping her when she couldn't find her sword. The elderly woman returned, holding the cleaned sword up for Hisa to take. "I cannot thank you enough," Hisa admitted, bowing low to the woman.

Hisa left the shack, stepping into the dirt road that seemed to run straight through the village. The sun was just rising over the horizon, and as she took in her surroundings, she recognized the scenery, and that meant −

"Hisa!" a female voice hollered.

Hisa turned to see a familiar woman running towards her. Wearing similar garments, Kohana Saito, in all her feminine beauty, stops in front of Hisa, holding out her arms for an embrace.

Hisa obliges, holding her dearest friend.

"I thought I lost you back there," Kohana admitted, brushing pale pink curls from her face. Her grey eyes shone like starlight, and her lovely smile flashed across her features. "So what happened?"

Hisa and Kohana start their way out of town, and Hisa fills her friend in on the events of the past day. Interrupting only to ask questions and the occasional scoff and gasp, Kohana listened intently. When Hisa ceased her tale, Kohana pursed her lips. "Gonna see him again?" she asked, elbowing Hisa in the ribs.

Rubbing at the pain in her side, Hisa smiled deviously. "Yeah, and this time I won't lose to him," she said.

"Not him," Kohana corrected. "Lieutenant Kunji."

"Renji. Renji, Kohana."

"He could be Lieutenant Dirt-Brains, as long as he's cute, ugh!" Kohana's hands fluttered around her hair. "Tattoos, Shinigami, high rank. Didn't bother to ask him to drinks?"

"You know," Hisa said, watching her friend. "You disgust me."

"Oh, don't start that. You gotta find a guy, Hisa. Wandering around by yourself, that's not fun."

Hisa huffed. "Unfortunately, I'm not alone. I have you."

"Wouldn't mind some eye-candy around here," Kohana continued. "Maybe District One will hold some interest for us."

"Just you, Kohana."

The women continued walking along a path that streaked south towards District One. As they walked and Kohana babbled, Hisa couldn't help but remember the help that the Lieutenant had offered her, and had taken her to a safe place to heal. She bet that even if she had struggled, the Lieutenant wouldn't have just left her there. She was grateful, even if she hated to admit it.

It took longer than Hisa would have liked, but by nightfall, they arrived in District One, coming to a bar to enjoy what little social life the women had. By the end of the night, Kohana had drunk too much sake, and, perhaps it was the sake, Hisa thought she saw a flash of red hair out of the corner of her eye.


	4. Chapter 4

Hisa awoke, her eyes fluttering, and the first thought was the question as to why she woke up. It wasn't until her mind registered the rusty-machine snoring of Kohana in the bed next to hers that she figured out why. Pushing her short hair behind her ears, she turned, finding herself too warm to sleep comfortably. Hisa swayed upward, unsteady and groggy. She wiped at her face with her hands, pushed out of the bed and walked to the screen door, which she slid away. She stepped outside, closing the screen behind her. Breathing in the sweet perfume that only the night could offer, she filed the sense away, a little bit of this place that she could keep with her forever. She briefly recalled the many moments like this one, a peaceful night dense with the flavor of quiet grass rustling in the breeze, the scent of flowers traveling miles with the wind. And all of them were hers, and hers alone to recall whenever she wished.

Hisa turned her gaze upwards to the moon that shone brightly, the stars scattered across the sky. She briefly heard the rustling of tree leaves...until she also noted that the breeze had briefly ceased. She turned toward the tree next to the room, her heart jumping to her throat. She didn't have her weapon. Unarmed, Hisa took a fighting stance and readied herself for whatever was in the tree. As quickly as she had reacted, she saw a flash of red accompanied by a brief streak of white. She released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding onto.

"What do you want, Lieutenant?" Hisa demanded quietly, turning away from him to return her attention to the night sky.

"Just out on patrol with a few buddies. Can't sleep, Miss Tsukino?"

"It's Hisa. And no, I couldn't." She did a double-take as Renji and two other Shinigami climbed out of the tree. "Buddies, huh?"

"Third Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira and Ninth Division Co-Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi," Renji introduced. The taller of the two, Shūhei, had attractive features, tattooed face included. The shorter of the two, Izuru, blinked notably at Hisa. "This is Hisa Tsukino, the girl I was telling you about last night."

"Woman," Hisa scolded. "I'm hardly a child."

"I commend you for standing up to 3rd Seat Madarame," Shūhei noted. "Not many do."

"I'm not many," Hisa whispered under her breath.

"Where's your friend from last night?" Renji asked, crossing his arms.

"Sleeping," Hisa answered. "I'd appreciate if you didn't wake her. She's a monster when she wakes."

"Sounds like she's a heavy sleeper," Shūhei added.

Hisa nodded. "Lucky for her." She stared at the sky for a few moments before she turned towards the Shinigami. "Don't you have a job to do, Lieutenant?"

Renji smirked. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we do. You relax and leave the Hollows up to the professionals."

"I'm hardly stopping you, Lieutenants." And with that, Hisa disappeared back into the room.

"Seems like she's probably more of a spit-fire when she's fully awake," Shūhei commented to Renji and Izuru. Despite the dark, a hint of pink could be seen on Lieutenant Kira's cheeks.

Just as Hisa had predicted, Kohana was quite the monster when she woke, grumbling incoherently, rubbing her eyes, then stomping off to take a hot bath. Hisa drank a cup of tea when Kohana returned, having brushed through her curls with her fingers. "Any way we could just relax and not leave the room?" Kohana wandered.

Hisa chuckled darkly. "Not a chance in hell."

"Heard some talk about Hollow attacks not far from here," Kohana mentioned.

"Heading out as soon as you're ready."


	5. Chapter 5

"You got this, Hisa!" Kohana cheered from the side of the path.

"Shut up!" Hisa snapped. They had searched for Hollows, but had found themselves being followed by a gang of brutes. Hisa wiped at the cut on her chin, smearing blood on the back of her hand. Her weapon steady, she leapt forward and slashed downward, catching the side of a brute's arm.

"Stupid little brat!" he shouted as he grasped his arm.

One brute swatted at Hisa with a club while another swung with a club. She jumped backwards, steadying herself before she lunged forward, slashing as she went. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of pink soaring through the air. For a fraction of a second, she turned her head to see Kohana and her four small fighting fans, thin silk strands across the top. Hisa gritted her teeth, swinging her sword upward, slashing the chest of one brute, she spun, lunging. Her sword embedded in the stomach of the second man. Both dropped to the ground like downed buildings.

"Finish up, Kohana!" Hisa shouted to her companion. "We've got to keep moving."

Kohana flashed a wicked smile, then lunged, slicing with all four weapons. "Let's go," she said before the man had even dropped. Kohana closed her fans, placing them in her belt. "Just a little bit farther north, then if we head east we should be in the same area." The girls picked their footing around the men they'd defeated, walking under the morning's brilliant sun. "Not a hair out of place, is there, Hisa darling? Can't imagine running into a high ranking Shinigami looking like the inside of a trash bin."

Hisa suppressed the urge to roll her baby blues. "You couldn't look so hideous even if you tried."

Kohana beamed. "Oh, you really think so? I know your eyes are as sharp as they come," she said. "Maybe we could hang around District One for some time while I do some fishing."

"Absolutely disgusting," Hisa muttered as her eyes caught a glint of metal hanging from a tree. She left Kohana's side to investigate.

"Everything okay?"

Hisa nodded, catching a silver pendant in her hand, her gaze following the leather strand wrapped around a low branch. "Think this belongs to someone?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Kohana scoffed, making a grab for the necklace. "Us now."

Hisa jerked the jewelry from her friend's grasp. "No, we're not taking this."

"We're not?"

"No," Hisa continued. "This looks like it means quite a bit to someone."

"Could mean quite a bit of money for us, too," Kohana mocked quietly.

Hisa gently tugged the necklace from the branch, securing the jewelry around her neck for safe-keeping. "We'll return it to its owner. For now, let's keep moving forward."

Kohana continued her banter for quite a while, covering all topics, even those that Hisa would have preferred to leave alone. Hisa daydreamed about a paradise of impossibility. Stars in the day, a sun and moon that shone as one, grass that grazed her hands as she walked, air that smelled sweet with blossoms and gentle like dew. Her vision dissipated as a blood-curdling wail pierced the afternoon. Hisa broke out in a run, Kohana following closely behind.

The women came upon a shabby village, a small patrol of Shinigami already at the scene. Between the black robes, Hisa saw a middle-aged woman slumped on the ground, her hands desperately grasping at Eleventh Division 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasewaga.

"Please, calm down," Yumichika managed between cries. "Where did the creature go?"

The woman could barely manage to remain conscious, let alone begin to form a coherent statement. "My baby...my girl...taken!"

"Kohana," Hisa said, turning to her friend. "Stay with the woman, calm her down, get as much information as you can from her. I'll go find her girl."

"I'll go with you, Hisa," Kohana protested.

"No, I need you to stay here. Stay here," Hisa urged, running off into the trees.


	6. Chapter 6

Hisa was panting, sweat was rolling down her forehead, threatening to disrupt her vision. She'd caught a glimpse of black robes, hiding behind a tree as the unmistakable voice of 3rd Seat Madarame shouted at his squad to go back. She sprinted in the opposite direction; avoiding confrontation with the Shinigami was crucial if she wanted to find the girl. Hisa was putting all of her effort and attention into her run when she nearly tumbled over it. Evidence!

Stretching into the trees, trail marks: parallel to one another, not entirely straight. She examined the marks closer, finding large footprints obscured by the marks. She jogged beside the marks, slowing only to analyze a stretch where the marks had changed; from two marks to a single, wider, much more vague mark. Hisa's heart jumped to her throat and her stomach dropped to her feet. A single handprint in the dust confirmed her fears. _It was dragging her by the hair! And now it's dragging her by the feet!_ She sprinted, following the trail.

What if she wasn't fast enough? What if it was a Hollow? What if the girl was already dead? What if the girl had already been devoured? Hisa shook her head, clearing her mind of thoughts. She couldn't afford to think like that. She pushed herself forward, leaping and clearing a fallen log, halting in her tracks when she spotted the monster, and the girl being dragged behind it.

She couldn't just run in and start beating up on the Hollow. What if it decided to kill the girl before Hisa could destroy it? Before Hisa even had a chance to consider her options, her hair whipped with an unnatural breeze as her ears filled with the sound of battle cries. She didn't have time to think, only act. She rushed forward, diving at the girl as Zanpakutō were drawn and swung. Grabbing the girl around the shoulders with one arm and holding her sword high with the other, Hisa braced her body for whatever onslaught was about to take place.

She heard the roar of the Hollow, the taunting of the monster. She heard the confident remarks of Ikkaku Madarame and the other Shinigami. She heard the sound of Zanpakutō meeting flesh, slashing through bone. She heard the deafening cry of the Hollow. She felt the careless swings of Shinigami against her sword, an attempt to slash at the Hollow so close to the girl. She felt the edge of a Zanpakutō slip across her blade and graze her fingers. She felt the air shift when all was quiet again.

The only thing she heard for a few moments was her own unsteady breathing. When she was sure the Hollow was defeated, Hisa lowered her sword to the ground, focusing only on the girl she held in her arms.

The girl was young; she couldn't have been younger than Hisa had been when she'd run away. That awkward time between childhood and adolescence, fraught with rebellion and angst. Perhaps the girl had run too far after a fight. Hisa knew the feeling all too well. The girl's hair was long, straight as straw, the color of honey in the sunlight. Natural debris was tangled in the strands, her diamond-shaped face covered in scratches and dust. She was dressed modestly, her sandals broken in several places. Hisa used what little medical aid she knew, checking the girl's pulse and making sure she was still breathing.

"She'll be alright," Ikkaku said suddenly, startling Hisa.

Hisa nodded, not trusting her own voice enough to respond. Such a young, fragile girl, unsure about her own potential. Already she would be forever haunted by the creature that took her. Hisa began to pick debris from the girl's hair, after all, she'd done all she could medically speaking.

"We'll escort you two back to the village," Ikkaku said to Hisa, then began ordering his men into place. Hisa sheathed her sword and then helped the girl onto Ikkaku's back. Hisa kept up well with the Shinigami, though she wouldn't have if they had used Shunpo. She hid her face from the Shinigami as they ran, afraid that they'd see the fear that Hisa was trying to cast away.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, my baby!"

Hisa and the Shinigami returned to the village, the woman leaping to her feet from Kohana's arms and rushing forward to hold her precious child. Hisa stood watch as the mother looked over the girl.

"Will she be alright?" the woman asked Ikkaku. Her face was red with sorrow, her violet eyes swollen and puffy.

"She'll be out for awhile, but she will be okay," Ikkaku answered, his men falling into place behind him. It was clear to Hisa that 3rd Seat Madarame demanded respect, more, his men were more than willing to give him that without hesitation.

"Thank you so much, Soul Reaper, for saving my daughter."

Ikkaku held up his hand. "We got rid of the Hollow, but if you're looking for the person who saved your daughter, this is the woman." Ikkaku pointed to Hisa.

The woman nodded to Ikkaku and to Hisa, not quite understanding, but trying despite her shock. "Is that my daughter's necklace?" she asked at last.

Hisa remembered that she wore a pendant for safe-keeping. "It likely is," Hisa admitted, removing the jewelry from her throat. "I found it a mile or so away from here."

"South, right?" the woman asked. "Yes, Lily enjoys that spot. She says it's peaceful." The woman's eyes filled with tears as she spoke. "I cannot thank you enough, young lady, for what you've done for my daughter."

Blood began to rush to Hisa's cheeks. "Just keep her safe and one day she'll appreciate all that you've done for her," Hisa responded. After an offer or two for further thanks, Hisa and Kohana left the village, the Shinigami remaining close as they all headed back to District One.

"You didn't tell that woman that you saved her daughter," Hisa noted to Ikkaku. "You're either incredibly humble or incredibly stupid. I don't see you as someone who would be humble, so you must be stupid."

Ikkaku grimaced down at Hisa before his expression softened. "Lucky for you, I'm not stupid. I'm not one to take someone else's credit. We defeated the Hollow, however you put yourself between the Hollow and the girl, even between the fight and the girl. Takes guts. Either you're really brave, or you're really stupid."

Hisa shrugged. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not stupid."

With that, the Shinigami used Shunpo, leaving Hisa and Kohana in the dust. Not that Hisa minded all that much, wandering with her best friend seemed to be a favored pastime. The sun was beginning to set, the clouds turning a vivid and violent red, followed closely by an orange tint. Neither minded that the other didn't speak for some time; filling the air with mindless babble wasn't always necessary. Fallen leaves crunched beneath the women's feet, their muscles growing heavy from the day behind them.

"Hit a soft spot, didn't it?" Kohana wondered softly. The air hung with her words as her friend considered them.

"Kids usually do," Hisa admitted.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Kohana clarified. "But I won't pry. Each to her own."

"Best thing you've said all day."


	8. Chapter 8

Kohana twirled a fan in her hand, downing sake, her lips pursed as she thought. The crowd was thinning, though the din around them was enough to mask their conversation.

"Have you ever thought of becoming a Shinigami?" Hisa asked her friend.

Kohana cocked a brow, pouring herself more sake. "Sure, back when I was a kid living in the country. Thought I'd be some hot-shot with a Zanpakutō, adventures all over the Soul Society. Then Taku was born," Kohana mused, speaking fondly of her little brother. "I sorta dropped that dream. Didn't have time for dreams chasing him and his friends around. You?"

Hisa thought back, her childhood in Kusajishi. Her mother had lived in a single shack, caring for children that weren't even her own. Some had picked on Hisa for her red hair, others just shunned her. Disputes between the local gangs and the villagers were common. On several occasions, Hisa remembered her mother being kicked to the dirt, spat on, stomped. But her mother always got back up again. They moved farther away from Kusajishi, and Hisa and her mother took shelter with a shop owner and his son. Everything seemed to be going fine until one evening when Hisa's mother hadn't answered a question quickly enough.

"You lying to me, woman?!" the man had yelled, grabbing Hisa's mother by the front of the shirt. "You got some place else to go? Maybe you're not satisfied with the shit hole I have going here. Answer me, woman!"

Hisa had run from the house, only to be caught by the shop owner's son. Hisa couldn't remember his full name, but she had called him Toga.

"Don't run," Toga had said, pulling Hisa back to the house.

"He's scaring me!" Hisa cried.

"Running will only make him more angry," Toga explained. "Just stay in the bedroom and don't make a sound. There's a loose floorboard by where you sleep, hide under there if you get scared."

That's precisely what Hisa did. Every time the shop owner fought with her mother, Hisa would hide under the floor, waiting until her mother's cries died down and the man stopped shouting. Hisa spent her days running around with Toga and his friends in the sun. Hisa regretted not spending more time with her mother. One evening, a fight began, and all seemed relatively normal until the shop owner hit Hisa's mother just a little too hard. Hisa's mother dropped like a brick, and then the man left for drinks, leaving the bleeding woman on the floor. Hisa remembered coming out from the bedroom, finding her mother laying motionless. She shook her mother, asked her to wake up, to move, to speak, to do anything. Tears streamed down her face, leaving tracks of clean skin among the grime.

"Don't leave me, Mama," Hisa whispered at last. "I can't...I need you to get up."

She never got up.

Hisa ran to the bedroom, crawled under the floor and slept and cried and slept and cried. A thought crossed her mind and without any further consideration, she climbed from the floor, retrieving the sword she knew the shop owner had under his blankets. She couldn't face what was lying outside the room, so she climbed from the window, running barefoot into oblivion.

"Hisa?"

Hisa struggled against the memories drowning her, yet she breached the surface of reality and found herself staring at a buzzed Kohana, twiddling with a pink fan in her left hand. Kohana hiccupped, covering her mouth with her free hand, but her eyes never wavered from Hisa's.

"No, I never thought about becoming a Soul Reaper," Hisa said at last.


	9. Chapter 9

Kohana yawned dramatically, fanning her face with her hand. "What's you say me and you get some nice, long, sweet sleep, Hisa darling?"

Hisa looked up from her second glass of sake. She knew her limit and wasn't pushing it quite like Kohana was. "How about you put something other than liquor in your stomach?" Hisa pushed a plate of food towards her friend.

"Oh, I couldn't eat another thing," Kohana said. "Let's get outta here, buddy."

Hisa supported her friend out into the street, Kohana's arm wrapped around her shoulder while Hisa's was wrapped around her waist.

"Hey, Hisa!" Someone shouted behind her.

Hisa glanced behind her in time to see that damn red hair. "Pick up the pace, would you, Kohana?" Hisa hissed.

"Who is it?" Kohana wondered drunkenly. She turned unsteadily and smiled at the men coming towards them. "Oh, is this that Lieutenant you were telling me about? Oh, he's a cutie. Wait, wait, aren't we gonna stop? They're coming right up to us."

"Hey, you going somewhere, Hisa?" Renji asked when he caught up to her. Izuru and Shūhei walked beside Renji.

"Taking this drunk home," Hisa muttered over Kohana's not-so-quiet whispers in her ear.

"Oh, so you've got a place here?" Renji wondered.

"Oh, not really," Kohana blurted. "It's just a room at the inn, really. You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like."

Renji's cheeks turned slightly rosy, but Hisa stepped in before her friend could embarrass herself any further. "Ignore her, she's stupid drunk. And what brings you out here? Don't you have a job?"

Renji stretched his arms, earning him a few more comments from the inebriated Kohana. "We were out getting drinks and left around the same time you did," he explained.

"He'd actually been standing outside, waiting for you two to come out," Shūhei added.

"Oh! That's just so sweet! Isn't it, Hisa? Big, strong Soul Reapers walking us home like gentlemen."

Hisa gritted her teeth. "Keep it up," she spit, "and I'll dump you in the street." They continued to walk in relative silence, Shūhei and Izuru making small talk. They came to the inn, and Izuru offered to help Kohana get settled.

"Oh, see now, Hisa," Kohana whispered loudly to her friend at the door. "I'll go to bed and you can have this cute little blond all to yourself! Just what you need, too!"

Izuru blushed like a blossoming flower, and glanced quickly at the ground. Hisa's face flushed, and she felt so sorry for the man. She cleared her throat and composed herself. "Really, just ignore her, she's silly drunk; I've been saying it the whole time. Well, thanks for walking with us, Lieutenants. We'll catch up some other time," Hisa promised, then remembered something Izuru had said to Shūhei. "Lieutenant Kira, I'd really like to know more about your poetry," she continued. "Perhaps we can meet for tea and you can teach me how to write some of my own." Hisa let go of Kohana just long enough to open the door and for her friend to stumble inside.

"You mean it?" Izuru asked, a little dumbfounded.

Hisa nodded earnestly. "I don't know much about the arts, but I appreciate them nonetheless. Thank you again for walking with us." She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"You can't write poetry," Kohana slurred, leaning on the wall like it was her only hope. "That poor guy probably thinks you like him."

Hisa grabbed her friend again and half-carried her down the hall to their room. "For your information, I do appreciate that they walked with us. Especially since you're a sack of bricks." As if to prove her point, Hisa loosened her grip and Kohana tumbled to the floor. "And perhaps I can make up for your behavior tonight by lightening the mood a little." Hisa ruffled her hair. Before she could continue berating her friend, she heard the tell-tale signs of sleep from Kohana. "I like poetry," she said to herself. "It's sweet, and slightly romantic and stuff. I can be sweet and slightly romantic if I want to." Hisa plopped down on her own bed. She was out cold before her head even hit the pillow.

Sunlight came streaming through the window too soon for Hisa. She pulled the blankets over her face and rolled over, all too aware that her friend was already awake and preparing breakfast. She'd exhausted herself from the day before, so she deserved this time to relax. She dozed for a few more minutes until Kohana ripped the blanket from her grasp and offered a plate of hot food to her friend.

"Eat up," Kohana ordered. "We got a letter."

Hisa sat up, and took the plate. A letter? How long had it been since they'd gotten a letter? "What's the job?"

"We've been hired as bounty hunters again," Kohana explained. "Maybe it's time we made that our field of work."

"What's the job, Kohana?" Hisa asked again.

"Some fool didn't pay his gambling debts," she began. "Client says he skipped town and likely headed east. We've got to find the guy and bring him back."

Hisa swallowed a spoonful. "Gambling house, right? Why don't they send out their own guys?"

Kohana scoffed. "Priorities, probably. Why send your own guys out to find this guy when they can be making money off of some other poor sucker. Anyway, they sent us aliases, face sketches including disguises, and next-of-kin. They also sent some information on a brother."

"Shit," Hisa hissed.

"Yeah, no kidding. This one's got a little bit more meat, too." Kohana dropped the file on Hisa's lap.

"Second Division. Loyal?" Hisa hoped not.

"Like a dog. From the description, these two are as thick as thieves," Kohana said. "I'm thinking his brother's probably looking out for him."

Hisa finished her food, setting the plate aside. "I'd bet so. Well, we've got our information, so let's go get him, shall we?"


	10. Chapter 10

Hisa sighed heavily. They'd been on the trail of Kiyoshi Fujimoto for almost two days, and not one person had seen the man passing through any of the villages in the eastern Rukongai. Kohana grilled an inn keeper, showing him several sketches of Fujimoto, but the man swore he hadn't seen him. Kohana stepped away from the desk and Hisa followed her outside. Her friend yawned and stretched her arms to the sky.

"Think he's lying?" Hisa wondered.

"No," Kohana answered. "Fujimoto is likely camping out away from people. He'll slip, though, and we'll be right there when he does."

"So what now?"

Kohana glanced toward the sky. "We wait him out. Keep looking. He's got a day or so on us so we've gotta keep moving."

That's what the women did. Hisa analyzed the sketches of Kiyoshi Fujimoto. He was a lanky man, with a long, square jaw and a razor-like nose. His ebony eyes were sunken and drooped like he was forever asleep. He had unmistakable laugh lines around his thin mouth. His mousey hair hung lazily in front of his eyes. Hisa looked up from the sketches, only to stare at the man in the flesh. Only, this man had dark, shorter hair and younger features. Hisa folded the papers and tucked them away in her belt. The man approaching wore a Shinigami uniform.

"That's the brother," Hisa whispered to Kohana, who nodded in turn. The women passed by the man, Hisa turning her eyes to the ground to avoid eye contact. They continued walking until he was out of sight.

"That was Haruto Fujimoto," Kohana said quietly. "It'd be best if we proceed carefully."

Hisa nodded. Normally, the thought of dealing with a Shinigami didn't intimidate her, but the fact that the target's brother was Second Division? That was unnerving. "We'll head in the direction he was coming from," Hisa instructed. "He wouldn't have taken a direct path, if he was smart. But we have an idea." The two women continued forward, Kohana checking behind them every now and then. Hisa sympathized with her. The last thing they needed was a highly skilled Second Division Shinigami following them.

Darkness began to fall, and the two quickly found a small inn to rest. Shabby, but still present, Hisa and Kohana settled in for the evening. When she awoke, Hisa stretched her neck, then moved her arms to push her hair out of her face.

Her arms wouldn't budge.

Through her sleepy haze, Hisa looked down at her arms, trapped firmly at her sides with thick rope. Her feet were tied with the same rope, and her sword was no longer on her person.

"What did you do?!" a strained voice demanded.

Hisa smelled the dust, the mildew in the air. Her mind was filled with bricks, her head rolling to the side. She couldn't see past the haze, no matter how much she blinked, how hard she thought.

"They were looking for you, Kiyoshi," another voice explained. "I couldn't just let them continue."

"You brought them here!"

Hisa heard wood scrape against wood, a chair move across the floor. "They don't know where they are. Calm down, brother." Footsteps thumped closer and closer to where Hisa lay against the wall, and she tried to hold her head up to look at the approaching figure, but her head wouldn't respond. "It's a shame, too," the voice whispered, fingers grasping Hisa's chin. "Such a pretty thing doing a corrupt man's dirty work." The warm flesh of a thumb caressed Hisa's cheek, and Hisa ordered her body away from the touch, but her head only managed to loll to the left.

"What about the other one?" the first voice asked.

The hand drew away from Hisa, and the figure stood, robes quietly sweeping against the floor. "She'll be out for quite awhile," the figure explained. "She put up a fight, so I gave her more than was probably necessary."

 _Drugged,_ Hisa realized. She and Kohana had been drugged. She forced her head to roll to the right, and through the haze, she could make out Kohana laying on the floor against the wall, motionless. _What now?_ Hisa thought. _How are we going to get out of this?_


End file.
